Wood slicer

ABSTRACT

A log slicer having a knife arranged to pass longitudinally through a log so as to cut a slice therefrom. A roller is positioned adjacent to the knife to exert pressure on the log and slice extending over a length thereof in advance of and behind the cutting edge of the knife.

United States Patent [72] Inventor [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1889 Crane...........................

George Knap 4408 Wildwood Crescent, South Burnaby, Canada 410,403 437,039 2,907,359 10/1959 Lade l44/246A X 9/1890 Oncken.

[21] App1. No. 865,813 [22] Filed Oct. 13, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 1971 3,227,197 1/1966 Sweet........,......... 144/312 Primary Examiner- Donald R. Schran Attorney-Lyle G. Trorey [54] WOOD SLICER 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

144/178, ABSTRACT: A log slicer having a knife arranged to pass lon- 144/312 gitudinally through a log so as to cut a slice therefrom. A roller B271 5/06 is positioned adjacent to the knife to exert pressure on the log 144/178, and slice extending over a length thereofin advance of and behind the cutting edge of the knife.

[51] [50] Field of PATENTEBncn 2 m1 George Knup,

Inventor WOOD SLICER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION it is obvious that if planks and boards were to be sliced from a log there would be no kerf loss. Furthermore if the slicing could be undertaken so as to leave a reasonably smooth face, losses involved in planing could also be avoided. It is well known, however, that when a length of wood is split such as by an axe or the like longitudinally of the grain the wood splits well in advance of the cutting edge of the axe or tool used and the resultant face is neither straight nor smooth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention a log or other piece of lumber to be cut into planks is thrust endwise against the edge of a knife blade and at the same time pressure is applied to opposite sides of the log transversely of the knife, put ahead of and behind the edge thereof, to curtail splitting of the log in advance of the knife, so that the knife, in effect, slices rather than splits the log. The resultant face of the planks or boards cut from the log, provided the knife blade is reasonably straight and smooth, will be flat and reasonably smooth providing almost, a plane surface.

As no kerf is taken there will be no loss of wood as is experienced in a sawing operation and, provided sufficient pressures are maintained to curtail advance splitting of the log the resultant face will require little, if any, planing. The invention therefore, also eliminates one operation, that is the planing operation, normally necessary in producing semifinished lumber.

A detailed description following is related to the drawings above giving, by way of example, preferred embodiment of the invention which, however is capable of expression in structure other than that particularly described and illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of the log slicer showing a log in position before a knife blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1 and 2 Referring to the drawings log slicer includes a knife 11 which has a rectangular configuration, having transverse cutting edge 12 and a thick butt 13. The knife is rigidly supported, along sides adjacent the edge and throughout its whole length, in an upright position in suitable supporting structure 14 with the knife edge vertically disposed.

A carriage 15, mounted on tracks 16 is arranged for reciprocal movement along one side face 17 of the knife, said carriage being operated by a high-speed air ram 18 disposed between one end of the carriage and a fixed block 19. The carriage serves as a carrier for a log-carrying cradle 20, the latter having clamps 21 by means of which a log 22 can be secured against lateral movement relative to the cradle. This cradle is of a type conventional in present sawmills which is provided with known controlled mechanism to permit the log to be shifted laterally relative to the knife.

At opposite side face 23 of the knife, FIG. 3 and in fixed fore and aft relationship thereto, is a log presser 25 which includes a large diameter roller 26. This roller 26 is arranged to press against the log at a point directly opposite the'edgeof the knife.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 the roller 26 has a relatively large diameter and is mounted for free rotation on a vertically disposed axle 27 the latter being supported between the arms 28 of a fork 29. The fork arms slideably fit in grooves 30 of a transverse supporting frame 31 for movement transversely of the direction of travel of the carriage. A pneumatic ram 32 is connected between the fork 29 and a fixed support 33 for effecting movement of the roller towards and away from the log. The ram 32 is fitted with suitable pressure gauges, and controls, not shown, whereby the pressure of the roller against the log can be varied. The roller has outer resilient skin 35 suitably rubber FIG. 3 which permits the roller to accommodate minor irregularities in the surface of the log.

FIG. 3

The preferred configuration and size relationship of the roller and knife is illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. As illustrated the knife is elongated fore and aft, the side face 17 thereof extending straight from edge to butt and disposed so as to extend in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the carriage. The other side face 23 is shaped so as to present a curved concave surface, from edge to butt, to the roller.

The roller 26 is of relatively large diameter, the radius of curvature at its periphery being slightly less than the radius of curvature of the curved side face 23 of the knife so that when the roller is pressed against a log, as illustrated in FIG. 3, there is formed a curved passage 37 between said roller and said knife, said passage widening slightly towards the knife butt.

In operating the slicer the roller is pressed firmly against the log during each slicing operation. The slice taken from the log by the knife will pass through the passage 37 being pressed firmly against the curved side face 23 of the knife as it does so. The pressure exerted by the roller upon the log as determined by the thrust imposed by the ram 32 can be varied to suit the thickness of slice taken from the log so that the resultant cut face will be straight and smooth. It will be apparent that the smoothness of the cut face of the slice will be dependent upon the pressure applied to the log by the roller. It is to be understood that a pressure sufficient only to obtain a slicing rather than a splitting action of the knife is preferred.

The ability of the slicer 10 to obtain a substantially smooth cut face is attributed, in part, to the fact that the roller exerts pressure on the log in advance of the cutting edge of the knife as well as behind the latter.

It will be observed that the resilient skin 35 is compressed when the roller is pressed against the log over a length L, meeting the log in advance of the knife edge and remaining in contact with a slice taken from the log throughout at least two thirds the length of the curved surface of the knife.

As illustrated and described herein the blade and roller are stationary; however it will be apparent that the log slicer can be arranged so that the carriage may be held stationary and the knife and roller moved longitudinally thereof. Furthermore, the roller, insteadpfrunning free, can be driven at a peripheral velocity equalto the linear velocity of the carriage.

I. Log-slicing apparatus including:

a. a knife blade having a cutting edge and a butt and a curved concave side surface extending between the cutting edge and the butt, I

b. means for passing the knife longitudinally through the log so as to cut a slice therefrom,

c. a roller positioned adjacent the curved surface of the knife for applying pressure to the slice as the knife passes through the log, the roller being positioned so as to apply pressure to the slice in advance of and behind the cutting edge, curvature of the roller and curved surface of the knife being substantially the same so that the slice is pressed against the curved surface of the knife blade.

2. Log-slicing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the roller has a resilient skin adapted to compress under pressure of the roller against the slice. ii og s l icing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means for mounting the rollerfo'r movement away from and towards the log, said means' including a pneumatic ram operable to vary pressure of the roller on the log. 

1. Log-slicing apparatus including: a. a knife blade having a cutting edge and a butt and a curved concave side sUrface extending between the cutting edge and the butt, b. means for passing the knife longitudinally through the log so as to cut a slice therefrom, c. a roller positioned adjacent the curved surface of the knife for applying pressure to the slice as the knife passes through the log, the roller being positioned so as to apply pressure to the slice in advance of and behind the cutting edge, curvature of the roller and curved surface of the knife being substantially the same so that the slice is pressed against the curved surface of the knife blade.
 2. Log-slicing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the roller has a resilient skin adapted to compress under pressure of the roller against the slice.
 3. Log-slicing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means for mounting the roller for movement away from and towards the log, said means including a pneumatic ram operable to vary pressure of the roller on the log. 